


Cut

by VaguelyDownwards



Category: Kamen Rider 555, Kamen Rider Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-13 16:20:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2157213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VaguelyDownwards/pseuds/VaguelyDownwards
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mari finally gives Takumi a proper haircut. Inspired by Takumi's new look and guilt complex in Heisei vs Showa, but doesn't actually involve any of the events of the movie. Set just after the show proper, contains mild spoilers if you really squint.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cut

He cuts his hair after... after everything. The impulse is somewhere between leaving the past behind and destroying the face in the mirror. He is aware how pathetically trite this is, but it feels good to grab hold where it's thickest and hack it off in rough chunks. He tells himself he doesn't care if the result is an ugly mess. He tells himself he deserves to look like an idiot. It's the very least he can do.

Mari fixes the worst of it. "We can't let Keitaro see you like this," she says. "You know how he worries." Takumi's only reply is a noncommittal scowl, since he's afraid that if he speaks he'll get hair in his mouth. He's not sure what he'd say if he did. Of course this is his fault, too. Making friends worry. He has been so selfish. And now Mari has gone out of her way to help him because he had to be so damn showy about punishing himself.

Mari sees the gears turning in his head and tuts at him. "Don't be like that. I've been waiting to get my hands on this mane since we met. No, hold still, I don't want to cut you. When was the last time you got this done properly, anyway?"

"How am I supposed to know? It's not like it's something I keep track of." Did most people really care that much about that sort of thing? Apparently, though he's inclined to believe that Mari's expectations are not normal. "I never really paid much attention to it. I got it cut to apply for a job a few times, but the haircut usually lasted longer than the job did. I don't see anything wrong with the way it was."

"You may not, but everyone else certainly did."

"What's that's supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm glad you're finally letting me fix this for you. We just won't tell Keitaro about... about..." About what? The hair littering the bathroom floor from his outburst earlier? Takumi's reasonably certain Keitaro will find out about that regardless. Or about the way Mari found him staring at his reflection, still holding the scissors with shaking hands, his other form flickering over him like a strobelight? "About the exact circumstances," Mari finishes.

He doesn't talk after that. He's not suited to long conversations anyway. He lets Mari fill the silence with all the stories from the salon, meaningless gossip about people he's never met. Mundane things. Human things. The chatter seems to come naturally to Mari when she has scissors in her hands, like one-sided small talk is a beautician's instinct. Maybe Keitaro's in the wrong business for talking to people. Takumi doesn't mind. It's certainly better than anything else they might talk about.

"What do you think?" she says, handing him a small mirror.

"It's fine," he says without looking.

"Are you sure?" Her tone catches his attention, more nervous than offended. So his opinion matters after all.

Takumi has never been a fan of his own reflection, but he forces himself to make an assessment. The first thing he notices is that it's _short_ , shorter than it's been in a long time. He tries to remember the last time his hair was this short, dimly recalls a smiling woman telling him to work hard on his first day of school. Has it really been that long?

The second thing he notices is that it's a significant improvement. Maybe people like Mari have something here, with this "keeping track of haircuts" idea. Or maybe he just has the sort of face that needs regular maintenance. Either way, he has to admit that Mari is good at what she does.

"Well?"

"It looks good. Thank you, Mari." He doesn't exactly smile, but his scowl relaxes enough that Mari favors him with a fond expression.

The moment is interrupted by a high-pitched wail from inside, and Mari and Takumi wince in tandem. "I think Keitaro saw the bathroom," says Mari.

"I think you're right," says Takumi.

-

They find Keitaro having mild hysterics by the bathroom door. "Look at this! There's hair everywhere! Mari--! Takkun--! How could you do this?"

"Sorry, sorry, Keitaro!" Mari says cheerily. "I got so excited when Takumi agreed to let me cut his hair that I forgot to take him outside. Won't happen again, I promise."

"So it's your fault? This kind of carelessness isn't like you at all!"

Takumi opens his mouth to correct him, but Mari cuts him off. "I'm afraid that's just what happened. I'll clean it up immediately."

"No, I'll do it," Takumi says quickly. "It's my hair, anyway," he adds before Mari can argue.

"Then I'll make dinner for all of us. Does that sound alright?"

"I... guess so," says Keitaro. He frowns like he's not entirely sure that it is, in fact, alright, but can't find any specific objection. Takumi is volunteering to clean without any prompting. Mari is going out of her way to be nice to Takumi. Something has happened, obviously, but if they won't talk about it, he won't ask. They ought to know by now that if there is anyone in the world who is willing to help them with their problems, it's Keitaro.

"Anyway, doesn't he look much better now?" says Mari, gesturing to Takumi. Keitaro smiles because he really, really does.

The meal that Mari serves them is barely a few degrees above room temperature. Takumi makes a token complaint but doesn't push the issue, and Keitaro hears Mari breathe a small sigh of relief. Maybe it's the haircut, or maybe it's the recent events taking their toll, but Takumi looks so much older, even as he complains that his lukewarm food is too hot.

-

In the morning, the shop is spotless and Takumi is gone. Keitaro is the first to notice; when he goes to chastise him for sleeping late, he finds the bed empty, linens folded in a neat stack. A quick inventory of the house finds them short one (1) sullen Orphenoch, one (1) Faiz gear and matching motorcycle, assorted clothing belonging to aforementioned Orphenoch.

"Why would he leave like that?" Keitaro sits on the front step of the shop with his head in his hands, forlornly eyeing the place where the motorcycle is usually parked.

"I think," says Mari slowly, measuring her words, "he needed to be somewhere he couldn't cause us any trouble. For a while, at least."

"He's not trouble--" Mari shoots Keitaro a Look. "Well, not exactly. I mean, it's not like it was his fault."

"I'm not sure if he can believe that just yet."

"Still. He didn't even leave a note."

Mari shrugs. "He has his phone. If it's important, I'm sure he'll get ahold of us. He has to come back before too long, anyway."

"Oh?"

"Eventually he'll need another haircut."


End file.
